Former world player of the year Roberto Baggio has been injured in a robbery at his home in northern Italy.

According to Italian media reports, five armed men forced their way into the 57-year-old’s villa near Vicenza on Thursday while he was watching Italy’s 1-0 European Championship defeat to Spain on television with his family.

One of the perpetrators was said to have hit Baggio with a rifle butt and injured him in the head as Baggio tried to defend himself.

“Fortunately, the violence I suffered only caused me stitches, bruises, and a lot of fear,” Baggio was quoted as saying by the ANSA news agency on Friday.

Baggio, who was treated in the hospital after the attack, and his family were reportedly locked in a room.

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The thieves then ransacked the house and stole watches, jewellery, and money.

After the criminals had left the villa, Baggio broke down the door and alerted the police.

Nobody else was injured apart from the 1993 World Player of the Year and 1994 World Cup runner-up.

The 57-year-old, who mainly played as a second striker or as an attacking midfielder, is the former president of the technical sector of the Italian Football Federation.

Renowned for his curling free-kicks, dribbling skills, and goalscoring, Baggio is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.

In 1999, he came fourth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll and was chosen on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002.

In 1993, Baggio was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d’Or.

In 2004, the former Italy forward was named by Pele in the FIFA 100, a list of the world’s greatest living players.

The Star